Archive for June, 2007

Alzheimer’s and Your Lifestyle

Evidence is mounting daily that your lifestyle contributes more to the diseases you develop than your genetics; Alzheimer’s is no exception. From an article in Nutrition Action steps to prevent heart disease and Alzheimer’s is proving to be one-in-the-same. Researcher Martha Clare Morris, the Chicago Health and Aging Project, says there is one difference between heart disease and Alzheimer’s, “Heart disease research is 30 years ahead of Alzheimer’s.”

Those who are involved in Alzheimer’s research say there is a fine line that seperates Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia. The following are 10 steps to take that will lower your risk if not prevent Alzheimer’s.

Two or three servings of fatty fish each week:

     The polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids seem to protect both your heart and your brain.

Limit bad fats:

     Studies conducted by the Chicago Health and Aging Project showed that those consuming the most saturated fats (25 grams per day) doubled their risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Those with 1.8 grams of trans-fats in their daily diet also doubled their risk.

Eating leafy greens:

Eating vegetables has proven to keep your mind sharp, even more beneficial are the leafy green vegetables.

Vitamin E-rich foods:

Vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and whole grains.

Keep your blood sugar down:

Many studies link diabetes and memory impairment.

Lose excess weight:

There are many reasons to lose weight, brain power is one more to add to the list.

Get moving:

Studies done with 16,000 women showed the difference between the least and most active to be the equivalent of two to three years of aging.

Keep a lid on blood pressure:

The link between Alzheimer’s and blood pressure is not clear but high blood pressure does raise your risk of mini-strokes which leads to cognitive decline. 

Use your head:

In other words, the more you do activities that require your brain the lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia.

Don’t ignore depression:

Kristine Yaffe from the University of California says that “Evidence shows up over and over that depression is either a risk factor or precursor for dementia.”

For more information about Alzheimer’s go to www.alzheimers.org

Healthy Eating

From Harvard Medical School 

“Research done since the 1990s shows beyond all doubt that you can lower your risk for the most serious diseases of our time by following a healthy diet. Healthy eating, based on this science, can prevent possibly 80% of cases of heart disease and diabetes and help ward off hypertension.osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer.”

Food For Thought: If eating healthy reduces the risk of major diseases by such a high percentage, then there is a high risk of developing a major disease by eating an unhealthy diet. 

We All Know Fresh Is Better

But just what qualifies as fresh, at least when it comes to the vegetables that you place on your table?

There is no argument, picking your vegetables straight from your own garden and preparing them within a couple of hours, it just doesn’t get any freasher than that. Unfortunately most of you don’t have either the land or the time to plant your own garden or for that matter access to someome else’s garden.

It may surprise you to learn that if none of the above options are avaliable to you, frozen vegetables may be your best choice. Most of your vegetables in your groceries freezer section are processed shortly after they are harvested so therefore they retain most of their nutrients. This is if the vegetables have not been thawed and then refrozen.

Quality can vary with the raw vegetables in the produce section. There is no way of knowing the length of time between the time the vegetables are picked and they reach your grocer’s stand, how they are stored or the conditions under which they are displayed.

As for canned vegetables, they lose a lot of their nutriients through the heat used in the canning process and many brands are high in sodium.